The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-01-22
National Road Inn.keepprs.
dRANTSvILLE, MD. Jan. II, 1887.

WI our last communication
was Red Ridge or Pine Grove.
lhence we move along with the Ma
'ional road over Meadow Mountain,
me hunters favorite resort in years
past TOR large game. till the historic
Little Meadows" are reached. The
beauties of this favored sport did NOT
escape the eye of Washington in his
military and civil campaigns. Here
ne halted and rested different times.
All his biographers. az well as Ban.
croft, mention Little Meadows, but
not one of them record the fact that
ne built a small stockade fort here.
Its site Is just beyond the Tomlinson
grave-y ard doubtful whether any
one now can designate the point.
This is one of the most beautiful and
charming places in all the Alleganies.
Meadow Mountain smiles upon it on
the East and on the West are the
fairly curved lines of Chestnut Ridge,
thus walling in a beautiful glade or
Rrairie in the form of an amphithea-
ire of several hundred acres, with q
'stresn Of water almost unseen or
TsxWf,l fraverSing ii from West to East
with its narrow in and outlet. The
oecklpd trout. in times past, could
b caught at will by "hook and line"
inthe hands of the angler entirely
hidden in the deep native grass.
Iithis basin. still mostly in sward,
are anumber of mineral springs YET
undeeIoped. but no doubt contain
ing valuable medical properties. In
deed. il times past, especially when
Hud,lIson kept the hotel, it was
quite ipsOrt for the Invalid rs weli
;,s the peasure-seeker, but when the
acknowledgement the Alleganies on
eilh' side, its gay seasons were en-.
died..
Mr.. w. M. r. Macraw, who was
the husband of the granddaup liter
of Jesse TomlinSnn, the original pro-
rriet0r, greatly admired the prop
eriy and spent a good deal OF
money to make it attractive and
useful. In 1864, chapter So, he with
M. p. OH-rn and others procured
from the Legislature, an Act for the
Incorporation of the Little Meadows
Spring Company. which was intended
10 capitalize the property anu make
It a tirSt-claSS watering place and
summer r, Sort. But this enterpris-
ing and generous man died the same
year and nothing further was ever
done with the charter.
Little Meadows as a tract of | md
was patented in 1873 to Evan Shelby,
with one exception the oldest tract
west Ct Savage Mountain. It's first
SarNvn resident was Jesse Tomlinson.
The exact date when he settled here
rannOt now be fixed, but more than
100 years ago. He died in 1910. aged
SO, and was of barnni Il power in his
day. Here for many years was the
0nly poStnflice between Cumberland
and Brownsville, Pa. An important
post for years in the dead past. II
is now simply Il most desirable and
valuable property, belonging to the
estate Of the late j. S. G ,mhs. under
the trust and care of Hon. Lloyd
LoWn,leS. who appreciates as well ills
money value rs lis historic assOcia-
tions and traditions.
But enough these colIaterals. We
must return to the thread of our sub
Jet -"In-keepers" of Olden-times.
The first at the stand named was
TnmlinsOn himself, at the brink OF
Brad,lOcks road. in the old Rel
House on the hill with its antique
and features-thOuSand
of names aud initials carved on its
fady walls and Innings, all gone
long since. Here TnminsOn grew
rich and powerful as u hotel keeper
and farmer, with mis- many slaves
and landed estates. Seven times sent
to the Legislature from 1892 to 1914,
with Office and position always h his
option, AMI after his long service his
ouce promising son Joseph was re-
turprd three times, and at last de-
f,4ted, then death from di-appoinl-
nent. as stated by an aged cotempo-
Iary.
.s-fhe National Road took the place
NJ Bra,llOck the former with vast
Government appropriations, in time
became the greatest thOroughfare in
America, and the latter a thing oi
The Dast-m material for histOry-as
well rs the pack saddles that so much
abused innocent horse flesh. Tom
linson accepted the situation, and
about the year 1918, built the Stone
House, II wonder in itself at the time
M n hotel, which he kept in person
Dnly for one year, after which III
turned II over to his son in-Iaw,